"That would be nice." Melodie says, a glimmer of a real smile showing through. "It's just ... people like her, hiding behind disguises, pretending to be your friend, playing cruel jokes and abandoning you. How can I trust someone like her again?"
Kathann summons a cleric to fully heal Sara's injuries. Once everybody has recovered and calmed down, she invites you to her office for a final briefing. She offers drinks--this time free of any magical additives.
"Apologies again for putting you through the wringer this past week. I had to be certain you were the right people for this job. You've shown great promise, and I see why Eutropia relies on you. I'm sorry that the question of succession has soured the relationship between the princess and the Lion Blades, but ultimately our loyalty must always be to the nation and the Taldan people. To take sides in a political conflict is to dilute our power and purpose. But now it seems that political conflict is spilling over into national security. Lady Lotheed brought us the documents you recovered in Yanmass, and they corroborate similar reports we've gathered from Sardis Township, Pol, and Demgazi. Maxillar Pythareus is rattling his saber for war, and he appears to be spilling Taldan blood to get it.
"For a time we shared the same uneasy peace with Maxillar Pythareus's Imperialist faction that we share with Eutropia's Loyalists. But all at once, as we began to receive reports of these 'Qadiran' attacks, our agents in Zimar were set upon and eliminated in a single, coordinated attack. I barely made it out of the city alive, and I appear to be the only one. Now I'm too well known in the area to keep a low profile. You'll be the ones to continue the investigation in Zimar on behalf of the Lion Blades.
"This is not an easy task laid out before you. Many believe Pythareus is the Grand Prince of Taldor, and he is defended accordingly, not to mention that you will be attempting to prove him guilty of high crimes. Furthermore, he is obviously operating his own intelligence network, one run by Milon Jeroth, a former associate of the Lion Blades and one of the most ruthless and underhanded operatives I have ever encountered. We believe one of our agents, Gannaius, may have escaped the purge, and locating him will be your top priority for now. We can provide you with false identities, and I can accompany you as far south as Panemona to act as an advisor, but you will be alone in the lion's den. I cannot enter the city to protect you without alerting Pythareus's diviner and bringing far more pain down upon you. Are you clear on what your nation needs from you?"
"It seems fairly clear; Find as much incriminating information on General Pythareus as possible and make contact with Gannaius." Zhi looks around at the others as she holds her wife's hand. "Did I miss anything?"
She looks back at Kathann.
"What can you tell us about Milon Jeroth and Gannaius?" she asks.
Kathann makes a sour face. "Sir Jeroth has never formally been a member of the Lion Blades, but he and his family have worked with us on and off for decades, infiltrating Qadira throughout the Grand Campaign. He's a master of disguise, an adept sorcerer, and an expert barehanded combatant who studied with the monks at the Monastery of Seven Forms, not to mention a stone-cold killer. He's difficult to find or track, so if you have even the slightest chance, hit him fast and hard.
"As for Gannaius, he's a paranoid but very talented Lion Blade who prefers to work alone. Our divinations haven't confirmed his death yet, so we're hoping he survived. One of his favorite drops is a warehouse for Sunrise Spice Importers in the Adobe District, so we'll have you start your search there."
Having discarded her mask and resumed a casual pose to listen to the intrigue, Zileska chimes in, "Would Pythareus be considered seduceable?"
Melodie stands in the corner of the office, watching Kathann closely, with an unhappy look on her face throughout.
"Is Gannaius a spellcaster?" She asks bluntly.
As the candles burn lower, Zhi presses her hands into her wife's naked back. The skin, covered in warm oil, still provides pleasurable friction. She moves up and down as she straddles Melodie's thighs.
She knows it's not a happy conversation, but perhaps, she thinks, she has her wife relaxed enough to consider her words.
"You know, sometimes in our line of work we have to work with people that we wouldn't normally. Perhaps people that we don't like or don't trust. But someone we do trust wants us to make the effort. I'm not trying to invalidate your feelings. Your feelings are just as important as anyone else's. Let's just remember the task at hand and maybe set aside our feelings to accomplish it."
"He's a man; He can be seduced," Zhi says with a snort. "Although he knows who we are so that's a strike against you, Zil."
"Those seduced will believe what they want to believe. For instance, if they believe that I have had a falling out with my former associates and am now pursuing a very Calistrian vendetta," suggests Zileska. "All I would need is a magic item to render me immune to divinations."
"Gannaius is not a spellcaster," Kathann says. "As for Pythareus, he is a man of extraordinary will and conviction--not to mention selfish, arrogant, and paternalistic. He would probably be quite difficult to seduce, assuming you could even get close enough to him to do so. But, I suppose anything is possible."
"Sounds... risky," says Zileska breathily. Then she chuckles and says, "No, seriously though, I wouldn't risk our operations just on a long shot like that."
"That item that would shield us from divinations would be useful though. It sounds as though Gannaius must have one - how else could he evade magical searches?" Melodie muses. "As to infiltrating you in Zil - lets save that for a last resort. An organisation as large as Pythaeus's must have weak points somewhere."
"I know..." She says, sadly. "It's not really Kathann, she's just too similar to... her. After how that ended." She sits up, heedless of her state of undress and steps into her wife's arms, tears trickling down her cheeks, "I don't want to face that again."
"We'll concentrate on making contact with Gannaius first," Zhi says. "Then we'll worry about General Asshat."
Kathann nods. "Before we leave, the Lion Blades have seen fit to grant you each a boon. I hope you're in the market for a new fashion accessory!"
You finish up whatever business you might have in Oppara, and the next morning, you set out for Zimar. Zimar lies about 210 miles southeast of Oppara. The fastest way to get there is to travel 90 miles up the River Porthmos to the newly revitalized city of Elsekulp, then follow old trade roads across a vast expanse of grassland and scrubland to the isolated artisan town of Ortalaca, and finally press south 50 miles on the main highway or 75 miles on the winding back roads to reach Zimar.
During the reconstruction era that followed the war with Qadira, a paved road called the Zimar Highway was built between Ortalaca and Zimar, but Kathann suggests that you use an older trade route once employed by local woodcutters, farmers, and artisans to avoid patrols of Pythareus's soldiers. The old trade route sees little use nowadays—not only has it fallen into disrepair due to centuries of disuse, but the many abandoned villages along the road have a reputation of being haunted. Fortunately, aside from a brief skirmish with a severly outmatched ankheg, the journey passes without incident.
Along the way, Kathann tells you more about what to expect in Zimar. "Zimar is a fortified military city, more paranoid than most after centuries on the front line between Taldor and Qadira. Almost every citizen drills with the militia until becoming a parent, and almost everyone is fanatically patriotic. However, Zimar is also the heart of Taldor's spice trade, and its people are happy to put their xenophobia on hold to make money. There are lots of suspicious eyes watching, but also lots of people coming and going.
"Once inside the city walls, you'll be surrounded by soldiers, spies, and paranoid citizens who will report you if you give them a reason to. Pythareus's personal support includes a powerful diviner named Avenna who studied at the Magaambyan, his spymaster Milon Jeroth, and his majordomo Baron Astor Roderus. Zimar is also home to a sect of Abadar worshipers called the Vault and Chain—law‑and‑order types who are almost certainly loyal to him."
After six days on horseback, you reach the tiny faming hamlet of Panemona. Panemona lies 15 miles northeast of Zimar and produces a great deal of the grain and herbs the city uses. It's important enough to have a large inn but otherwise far enough out of the way to be easily forgotten, making it a favorite watering hole for spies and criminals.
Windmill Inn stands at the crossroads of four roads, easily spotted thanks to its red tile roof and small windmill, which operates a pump to supply water to the guests and stables. In addition to two dozen cozy rooms, it offers stables and a large tavern for locals and visitors alike. A sign over the entrance reads, "Windmill Inn," and the four signs on a nearby signpost read, "Zimar 15 miles," "Landarr 9 miles," "Zimar Highway," and "Old Trade Road."
Kathann says, "This is the place. Cyricus will be here in a few hours to set you up with your false identities. I need to push on to rendezvous with a contact east of town, but I should be back here in a few days. You should move on first thing in the morning. Remember, this isn't about any political agenda; it's about the security of Taldor. We need evidence of Maxillar Pythareus's wrongdoing. Gannaius at Sunrise Spice should be able to get you started."
Before she leaves, Kathann gives you a fully charged wand of sending and instructs you not to hesitate in contacting her should you need advice or discover anything important. Then she bids you farewell, riding off to the east.
Zhi looks over the inn appraisingly.
"Does it mean I'm getting soft if I say I miss my own bed already?" she says, slipping gracefully down from her saddle. She steps over to assist Melodie down.
"Please tell me they offer a bath."
Looking forward to their new mission, and thinking it was a safely un-dangerous mission for Bartelby to cut his teeth on, Melodie sends messages out to her key agents to gather information about Pythareus and Zimar. The agents all report back to Bartelby, who sifts them looking for flaws before sending the distilled information on to Melodie.
-----------------
"I don't mind about the bed as long as you're in it!" Melodie whispers in Minkian as she accepts her wife's hand to slide from the saddle. "I'd love a bath though!" She finishes at a normal volume.
"Sadly enough," Zhi says. "I have a feeling that a bath here will be a disappointing affair."
She looks around the inn, noting the entrances and exits - including the stable. "Let's just start with something to eat and then wait for Cyricus," she says after making a circuit of the place.
The modest tavern serves modestly tasty food. Ninety minutes after your arrival at the inn, Cyricus arrives and takes a seat in a worn old booth in the back of the tavern. The bookish, nervous half‑elf looks up as you join him.
"You're the ones? All right. I'm Cyricus. I just got here from Zimar, and it's a bad scene. Guards checking your papers at the gates, more carefully than before. And there are lots of patrols in the city—sometimes they stop you for no reason and ask questions. Lots of people I know have been arrested for having a fake set of documents, which means I had dig up some genuine identification papers for you. These are the closest I could find to the descriptions Zalar sent. Have a look and see if there are any that are close enough. You'll just have to be creative with your disguises."
The smuggler produces documents for the following individuals:
Argentea; Female half‑elf; Traveling singer from Oppara
Basilia Aconian; Female middle‑aged human (Taldan); Baroness from Oppara
Cadonia; Female human (Taldan); Merchant from Demgazi
Karl Langbaen; Male old human (Garundi); Farmer from Landarr
Marozia; Female human (Vudrani); Healer from Elbistan
Zadim al-Hadir; Male human (Keleshite); Blacksmith from Zimar
Zenobius Baccar; Male human (Taldan); Knight from Lionsguard
Zifer Arpador; Male halfling; Baker from Ortalaca
Zhi looks over the various papers - focusing on genders and races.
"Zil should take Argentea - the singer. Sara can be Basilia Aconian. Mel, you should be the merchant, Cadonia. And Maria, Marozia the healer."
She looks over the remainder. "All the rest are men. I've been told I don't do men well. Maybe I should just go in invisible. I'll take the farmer's papers - Karl Langbaen if I have to, but maybe we can get better papers inside if everyone else has them?"
=> good thing I can't fail this
=> Success
=> Fail
=> Fail
=> Fail
So I fail my training and get no bonuses.
Persona Phase:
=> +1 Sacrifice
Looks like I failed training, so I don't get the inspiration points like everyone else.
~~~~~~~~~~
"I can't sing. At all."
Zhi laughs. "I don't think they're going to ask you to sing at the gate. But Argentea is half-elven. All you would have to do is modify your wardrobe a little and you should pass without any trouble."
She smirks a little.
"Besides, the papers don't mention anything at all about her being a good singer."
=> Fail
=> Success
So I still couldn't hit 4 training successes.
"Well I've got that hat of disguise so I could conceivably use any of these other than the halfling. Someone closer to my height would be best, though. With that in mind, Safina could probably pass as Marozia. Best you pretend to have a throat infection that keeps you from talking, then. No offence, honey, but you're not the best liar and even a mild Qadiran accent is going to be instantly recognised here. I don't know what accent the real Marozia has, but odds are it's not Qadiran."
Safina nods. "I'll keep quiet and let you do the talking for me, darling."
Melodie rifles through the papers and nods to her wife, seemingly quite excited. "This could be fun! I know just what we need, also sweetie - you're forgetting." She makes a tapping motion on her hip. "You don't have to 'do' a man, you can be one, at least for a little while. I can work on your face and hair, so if you stoop a little and try to rasp a lot that should do for Karl, at least once. Then you can get something better when we're inside. We could do the same for you Safina - the Lionsguard Knight maybe, I think you could sell that. Say you've been on border service elsewhere. That would explain the accent."
Sara scoffs when presented with the ID. "How do you expect me to pass for," she glances at the papers and does some quick math, "forty, no, fifty four?"
She reaches up to her neck and blushes. "Still, though. A Baroness. I'll consider it."
"If you've something that does what I think you're suggesting, Mel, I do hope it's temporary."
"About three hours Maria." Melodie responds with a grin. "Long enough to experiment with if you want."
"When you get to the gates, the guards will look at your documents and check that you match the description," Cyricus says. "If you're carrying a lot of valuables and items that look magical, you'll seem suspicious unless you're nobility or some kind of scholar. They also ask questions, things like what business you have in Zimar and if you're loyal to Taldor and Grand Prince Pythareus. If you keep a cool head and don't have any obvious weapons or contraband—and you look like your paperwork describes—you'll be fine. Probably.
"I can sell you some things that'll help. I have disguise kits, some magic items, and all kinds of outfits in my saddlebags. The horse's in the stable."
Just as the half-elf is about to lead you out of the inn, the door opens and a group of four soldiers enter! These sentinels wear green and gold accented chainmail and have swords holstered at their belts. They begin demanding traveling papers from the inn's patrons.
Cyricus immediately panics. He whispers, "They're here for me! You have to help me hide! If they catch me, they'll torture the truth out of me!"
"Hide him Zhi" Melodie whispers. She gestures and lights appear outside the inn window, drawing eyes and hopefully giving Zhi a moment to magic the man out of visibility.
Zhi actually looks hurt when Melodie reveals the existence of her wand. "But that was just supposed to be for ... " She begins but shakes her head and closes her eyes.
She reaches into her ever-present backpack and produces an intricately carved red wand. "Here," she says, handing it to Melodie. "Use it for whatever we need, I guess. This is more important."
She doesn't contribute anything else to the conversation. Her thoughts seem somewhere else.
Using Melodie's attention-getting distraction, Zhi casts a spell on the panicking Cyricus and shifts her appearance to that of something she thinks would match Karl Langbaen. She then pulls him back to a table in the corner and sits down next to him.
"You're invisible, so be as quiet as possible and stay right here." she whispers at him.
Cyricus falls silent as he disappears from sight, but Zhi can feel him shifting nervously beside her.
Two of the Sentinels check paperwork while the other two guard the door. After a little while, the inn's owner yells at the soldiers for bothering his guests, at which time the latter two escort him back into the kitchen. You can clearly hear the sound of several punches.
Soon, the Sentinels make their way to you. They give your papers a cursory examination, but they don't seem that interested in you. "We received an anonymous tip that a smuggler is here meeting with some clients. You haven't seen a half-elf around here, have you? Brown hair, spectacles, scar on his chin?"
"Nope," Zhi says as she takes a sip from the mug sitting on the table in front of her.
Sara nods enthusiastically. "I saw him," she volunteers. "He was sitting over there," she gestures at a recently abandoned table. "He left not ten minutes ago, if you hurry you'll catch him. I think I saw his horse head that way, back up the road. Now, you said he was a smuggler?" She beckons the sentinels close and whispers conspiratorially. "He was selling knives. Must've stole them."
The guards glance over to where Sara pointed, then turn back to her with a nod. "Thank you, citizen. Your service is appreciated." They gather their companions and all four quickly depart the inn.
Still invisible, Cyricus breathes a sigh of relief. "I'm in your debt, friends. I was going to sell you my supplies, but I'll give them to you free of charge as thanks."
The half-elf leads you out to the stables, where he hands you to contents of his saddlebags: a disguise kit, a healer's kit, four artisans' outfits, an entertainer's outfit, a noble's outfit, and three pocketed scarves, as well as a potion of invisibility and a cloak of the hedge wizard (abjuration).
Melodie immediately claims the disguise kit. "This is really good make-up. I haven't had anything like this for ages."
"Sara, this looks like your size." She says, holding up the noble's outfit. "This is yours Zil." Handing over the entertainers outfit. "And the rest of us lucky people get these..." She finishes with much less enthusiasm over the artisans outfits.
With her magical hat, Zhi doesn't show a lot of interest in the clothing.
Once the couple retire for the evening, Zhi grows more and more distracted and terse. When Melodie finally points this out, the tears start to fall.
"It should have worked by now," she says. "I'm almost out of Night Orchid and we're still not ... I'm not ... "
She sits dejectedly on the bed. "Maybe it's just not meant to be."
"It will come sweetheart. It's never easy for anyone, no matter what. My parents were trying for eight years before Max - eight years Zhi! I don't want to think about how regularly they tried but it took a long time."
She returns to soothing noises for a while until Zhi's sobs subside somewhat. "You do know I'm not going anywhere my darling. She's gone - I will never, ever leave you. We will have our child one day and we will both be there for it. I promise you. I am not my mother, or yours, and we are going to be better than either of them!"
She gently raises Zhi's tear-stained face and begins to kiss the tears from her wife's cheek.
"I love you d'Valois Mai Zhi, in this world and all the worlds beyond. You are going to be the mother of my child and I love that too. Now, no more tears." She quirks a slight grin, "Can you imagine Karl Langbean crying over not being pregnant?"
The small woman looks thoughtful for a moment. "According to the information that Zil gave me, the best time to try again will be in a little over a week."
She looks at Melodie with a playful eye. "So you'd better be ready to perform then."
Zhi seems to be in a much better mood as the ladies ready for their entrance into the city.
Melodie too is in a good mood as she flits between the girls, tweaking clothing and applying subtle make-up all round.
As Melodie prepares everybody's disguise, she receives a sending from Lady Paril, relaying a message from Bartelby. "Rumors in Zimar indicate city is alert for 'Eutropia's assassins.' Citizens encouraged to report any suspicious activity. Guards eager to please Pythareus. Exercise extreme caution!"
--
Once everyone's disguised, Melodie speaks quietly. "Apparently the city knows we're coming. Once we get there everyone is going to be a potential enemy. We'll have to be careful. Some of us should probably go in with the Baroness. Argentea, Marozia, Baccar - you could all be part of the entourage. Mr Langbean and I can enter separately."
Assuming everyone agrees Melodie will hang back to let Baroness Basilia and her entourage go in first.
Once you are ready, you ride along the highway for 15 miles to reach the city of Zimar. Located on the west bank of the Jalrune River and a day's ride from the Qadiran border, Zimar is Taldor's southernmost major settlement and Taldor's third largest city after Oppara and Cassomir. Also known as the Aegis of Taldor, Zimar is a heavily fortified garrison town, acting as Taldor's first line of defense against the threat of a Qadiran invasion. However, during the centuries-long war commonly known as the Grand Campaign, Zimar was intermittently occupied by Qadiran forces, which left a lasting mark on Zimar's architecture—the cityscape dominated by Taldan-style red clay tile roofs and columned halls of white marble is interspersed by tall minarets, domed palaces, and tented markets reminiscent of Qadiran cities.
Tall, stone walls protect Zimar from all directions, and the river forms a natural barrier that deters all but the most determined attacks from the east. You approach the Lion's Gate, one of two massive gates leading into the city. Four Zimar Sentinels inspect visitors' papers and are overseen by an inquisitor serving the Vault and Chain sect of the church of Abadar.
Fortunately, the templar appears to distracted by paperwork at the moment. The Sentinels wave you forward.
The rough looking farmer shuffles forward, leading his horse and looks around at the walled city with rheumy eyes. He holds out his papers distractedly as he continues to eye the walls around him.
Cadonia stands in line, tapping her fingers on her thigh and sighing pointedly. She doesn't seem much impressed by the soaring fortifications - more like annoyed at how long the line is taking.
"Some of us have important meetings to get to!" She mutters, loudly enough for her neighbours to hear. "If those Merosetts get to one more supplier before I do..."
The guards study "Karl's" papers, then peer closely at his face. Seemingly satisfied, they wave the farmer through.
As the "Baroness" and her entourage approach, the Sentinels frown at the group. "You all traveling together? What is the purpose of your visit?"